Someone has given you a present. It’s the incorrect size. It’s the same thing. It’s possible that you don’t like it. You want to give it back.
Some people will return to the stores on December 26 after months of shopping in the run-up to Christmas. This is a popular day for holiday gift exchanges.
According to the National Retail Federation, merchants expect that 13.3 percent of holiday sales will be returned in 2020. According to the retail federation, holiday returns are expected to total $101 billion, or nearly one-fourth of total returns for the year.
Bring the receipt with you.
It helps to have the correct information when returning something to a retailer. According to Kevin Miscik, proprietor of Lapels, A Fine Men’s Clothier in Greensburg, this benefits both the shopper and the retailer.
“At the moment of a sale, we try to do everything we can to ensure that we offer the consumer a detailed receipt and if it’s a present, a gift receipt,” Miscik added. “If they need to return it, that will make the experience better for them or the person they gift it to.” They’ll either get the correct amount for the item or a full refund.”
When giving a gift, Miscik recommends merely removing the pricing area of the tag. Keep the other tickets with you at all times. Those tags frequently contain vital information that allows a shop to quickly locate products in its system.
It’s also crucial to understand a store’s return policy, according to Miscik. This can be discovered on a receipt, on a company’s website, or in the store.
“Respect the return policy of a store,” Miscik advised. “There’s a reason those policies exist.”
“We’re not happy unless you’re pleased,” Carol Kinkela, owner of Carabella, a women’s clothes and store in Oakmont, said. He said it’s nice to have merchandise back in the same season.
Return as soon as possible.
Melanie Nuttall agreed that returning products in a timely manner is critical. It doesn’t have to be the day after Christmas, but if feasible, don’t wait until February, according to Nuttall, proprietor of The Nutthouse Boutique in Lower Burrell.
She extended the return date for things purchased on or after Black Friday until the end of January. “We give them time,” Nuttall explained, “because I try to think about what I would want if I were a customer.” It’s also vital to know that some items are final sales and cannot be returned, according to her.
If you’re intending to return garments, don’t wear or damage them first, then try to return them, according to Nuttall. Bringing a receipt speeds up the return procedure, however, some establishments use technology that eliminates the requirement for a receipt.
Dessie Mitcheson Pilek, co-owner of East-West Boutique in Vandergrift, said she gives a full refund if an item is returned within 14 days after purchase.
“We do store credit after 14 days,” she explained. “We want all of our clients to be completely satisfied with the products they buy from us.” We also allow consumers to swap goods for different sizes if they return them within 30 days.”
Returns may be considered as a positive factor. They provide retailers with an opportunity to interact with customers. Returns in-store can be used to meet and convert internet buyers, or to persuade shoppers to make a second purchase.
“Returns are a watershed moment,” says Tom Rittman, vice president of marketing at retail analytics firm Appriss Retail. “Because your top customers make the most returns, they’re an excellent touchpoint for building loyalty.”
69 percent of holiday consumers prefer to return unwanted gifts or festive items in the store, according to the National Retail Federation. while online returns are on the rise, merchants may mitigate the impact of future returns by giving quick access to fit and sizing information.
“Customers want a higher level of care at every point in the shopping journey now more than ever,” said Caroline Turner, senior vice president of client development at Optoro, a business that provides returns technology to help improve processing and route returned goods to another customer.
According to the retail foundation, there is some danger in returns, not only in terms of the expense of returning the item but also in terms of the relationship with customers.
According to Optoro, more than 15% of retail goods are returned each year or never sold at all. Retailers could lose billions of dollars as a result of this.
Furthermore, according to the retail foundation and Appriss Retail‘s annual study, businesses projected that 10% of holiday returns will be fraudulent in 2020. This was greater than the 6% they predicted to be fraudulent over the course of the year. Stolen goods and used, non-defective goods are examples of fraudulent returns.
